Hong Kong weather facility posts record high temperature
Hong Kong, CHINA—Hong Kong’s weather observatory posted a record high temperature of 36.9 Celsius on Sunday as Typhoon “Dolphin” swept warm air over the city, the meteorological service said.
The approaching storm has already triggered mass flight cancellations and evacuations along China’s east coast ahead of its landfall and fueled intense heat in the region.
“The maximum temperature recorded at the observatory was 36.9 degrees, the highest ever recorded since 1884,” when records began, the Hong Kong Observatory said in the afternoon.
The previous record was set at 36.6 C on Aug. 22, 2017, before Typhoon “Hato” hit the city.
Figures recorded at the observatory’s headquarters serve as one of the key references for Hong Kong, according to the weather service, although temperatures can vary significantly in the densely built Chinese finance hub.
Temperatures elsewhere in the city topped 39 C.
The station in Sheung Shui, in the city’s north, recorded 39.8 C, the highest temperature logged in Hong Kong since automatic weather stations were introduced in the 1980s, the Observatory said.
‘Very Hot Weather Warning’
“With Tropical Cyclone Dolphin moving towards the vicinity of Zhejiang and moving inland, its outer subsiding air will persistently bring extremely hot weather to the territory today to Tuesday,” the forecaster said.
The Observatory issued a “Very Hot Weather Warning” on Sunday, advising citizens to drink water and avoid vigorous outdoor physical activities.
Typhoon Dolphin approached the Chinese mainland about 1,000 km northeast of Hong Kong. (See related story on Page A6)
It has triggered more than 1,000 flight cancellations, evacuations and a top-level alert from authorities as it approaches China’s densely populated east coast.
It made two landfalls on Sunday in Zhejiang province.
Scientists say human-driven climate change is making extreme heat events more frequent and more intense worldwide.
